Flooding database helping City of Destin prepare for disaster

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Flooding is a big problem for many parts of the state, including parts of the panhandle, and combating that flood risk can be difficult.

The City of Destin has joined roughly 80 other communities across the country and partnered up with Forerunner, a flood management platform, to make it easier to compile data and get an overall view of the area’s flood risk.

”We really see ourselves as empowering communities to streamline data for both better decision-making internally but also so our partner communities can make sure residents have a tool to make decisions into the future,” Susanna Pho, co-founder, and chief operating officer of Forerunner, said.

Pho said Forerunner gathers flood-related data, from resources from places like FEMA and local government files, on individual properties and puts it all on one designated website.

”To have everything in one place and have it where it can be public interface as well. It was a win-win,” Noell Bell, building official for the City of Destin, said.

So how does it work?

If your city has partnered with Forerunner, there is an individualized website link to go to, you can look up your address, and you can find things like what flood zone you’re in if the building meets flood-related requirements and past permits.

”If you’re buying a home or if you are trying to understand what your mitigation opportunities are, or just trying to understand your flood risk more broadly, you have a place to go to start that journey,” Pho said.

If there is information you want but can’t find, the website lets you easily reach out to your local government to get it.

“Maybe they have questions about flood insurance and things like that. So we get notified immediately if someone puts in a request for information, so that’s awesome,” Bell said.

A new way to be better prepared for the next batch of storms that will inevitably roll through.

To view Destin on Forerunner, click here. To see if there is a city-specific link for your community, reach out to hello@withforerunner.com.